Favorite Questions

5)            There are a several problematic concepts that I see in the film. The main problem I see is the mass killings and capturing of the dolphins. The film notes that there are approximately 23,000 dolphins killed in Japan every year by the country’s whaling industry. Another problem is that the Japanese government knows that what it’s doing is cruel and inhumane because barbed wire and “keep out” signs are put up to keep the public away from seeing the killings. Anyone who is found trespassing will be under arrest.

            A few more problematic concepts can be seen throughout the film.  It’s said that studies have shown the dolphin meat being sold to the public contains a high amount of mercury, which is hazardous to the human body. Not only that, but the dolphin meat is being disguised as healthy meat. So, even if the public in Taiji knew about the mercury in dolphins, they would have no way of knowing for sure if they are actually buying whale meat. Additionally, Japan has allegedly been giving smaller countries financial aid so that they vote for Japan in the International Whaling Commission in return. These countries include Cambodia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Laos, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

6)            There was one specific scene that stayed with me and made me shocked, sad and angry. During this scene, the main crew was taking pictures of the dolphins that were being escorted to the secret lagoon where they would be slaughtered. Even though the crew couldn’t see the actual killings of the dolphins in this part, there was one baby dolphin that managed to make it over the nets as it was trying to escape. You could see the dolphin coming up from the water and all of the blood from its wounds right behind it. I felt helpless as I watched it take its last few breaths before it finally sank to the bottom and never came up again. I also felt very angry that the fishermen have no remorse for slaughtering the dolphins and making them suffer until their last breaths. The forbidden footage obtained by the camera crew shows the fisherman continuously stabbing these mammals. This scene was very disturbing and I couldn’t believe that the Japanese government would allow this to happen.

There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed while watching “The Cove”. The best part about the film was how determined the cast was to reveal to the world the dolphin slaughtering taking place. These people had to break the law in order to catch everything they wanted to on camera. If they were caught breaking the law in Taiji, Japan, they would immediately be arrested. This shows just how secretive they wanted to keep the dolphin killings. The most problematic concept that I see in the film is the mass killings and capturing of the dolphins. The film notes that there are approximately 23,000 dolphins killed in Japan every year by the country’s whaling industry. As I noted in my earlier posts, these dolphins contain high concentrations of mercury in them which is harmful to the human body when consumed. That being said, slaughtering that many dolphins is completely unnecessary. It's said in the film that the reason Japan continues this practice is because they don't like being told what they can and cannot do. What did the dolphins ever do to bother these people?

            If I chose one person from the film to have lunch with and chat, it would be Rick O’Barry. I would ask him if he thinks there is hope that the whaling industry in Japan will stop these killings anytime soon. Rick has definitely done his part by showing the rest of the world these inhuman acts of dolphin slaughtering. Now it’s up to the rest of the world to take action. So, I’d like to know if and when he thinks this problem will be fixed.

Reflection

"The Cove" is a documentary that exposes the dolphin catching that goes on in Taiji, Japan. I found some parts of this film to be disturbing, but important to show. Almost all of the dolphins that are captured are slaughtered. A few of them are sold to aquariums and marine parks to be trained. It is important that people see this film so that they are not blind to the inhumane acts that are taking place in Japan. Not only is it cruel that the dolphins are being slaughtered, but also the Japanese Government is falsely advertising the meat and selling it as whale meat. The dolphin meat contains a large amount of mercury which is detrimental to the human body. We can participate in actions aimed at addressing this important issue by creating worldwide awareness. According to takepart.com, more than half a million people have signed the petition to President Obama, Vice President Biden, The Japanese Ambassador to the U.S., the Prime Minister and Minister of Health in Japan. The more people that take part, the better the chance of fixing the issue of dolphin slaughtering.

My Blog

Like many others, this is the first time I have ever created a blog. It will probably take me a while before I get the hang of it. But, I think this class is going to be an exciting experience. I really like how much creativity we get to use in this class. In high school, I pretty much followed a set of rules for writing and didn't really get to thinking outside the box. It's difficult for things to be meaningful when we are limited to a certain set of guidelines. That is why I really like the idea of blogging. We are able to express ourselves in a very unique way. There is so much customization involved in blogging. I am looking forward to a very exciting semester.